Structural unit



'proved means for erectin Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNiTE STATES STRUCTURALUNIT Herbert Alfred Faber, Cincinnati, Ohio Application June 8, 1937,Serial No. 147,011

4 Claims.

This invention relates to building construction, and in particular to animproved, prefabricated, structural unit. I

It is an object of this invention to provide img a load-bearingpartition wall, such for example, as a residence basement partition,which must carry the load imposed by the superstructure. It is adesideratum of such a partition that it be erected at a low cost; thatit be fire retardent; and that one or both sides of the partition beadaptable to suitable finishingor decorative treatment.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a channel-shapedstructural unit which can be so bonded or joined to contiguous unitsthat vertical reinforcement means can readily be employed, and which,when assembled into a masonry course, provides the maximum reach orextent of the said course consonant with structural strength andstability.

Yet another object is to provide a structural unit which can easily beassembled into a ,wall structure of balanced strength, i. e., astructure in which the imposed load is carried equally on both wallfaces thereof.

Channelor U-shaped blocks are not new in the building art, but suchblocks have been characterized by uniform extension of the flanges fromthe web. In assembling such blocks or units into a masonry course, it isobvious that the flanges of adjacent units may either be placed in outerface to outer face opposition or in overlapping or interlockingrelationship. The first method, although utilizing the full length ofeach unit to give maximum reach to the masonry course, forms a coursewhich is structurally weak at the joints. The continual overlapping atthe joints in following the second structural method foreshortens thecourse, and thus adds to the expense of the wall structure.

It is, therefore, a feature of the present invention that the flanges,extending at the ends of the web-portion angularly from its outer face,are not of the same length, and that in assem- .bling the units into amasonry course, only the shorter flanges of contiguous units areoverlapped, with the terminal end surfaces of the flanges facing theinner surface of the web of a complementary unit.

.A second feature of this invention is that the difference in length ofthe two flanges is greater than the thickness of the web-portion. Informing the masonry course, the longer flanges of adjacent units areplaced with their outer surfaces in coextensive opposition and inparallel relationship. It will thus be obvious that the terminal ends ofthe short flanges will be spaced from the webs toward which they extend.The space may be closed with a filling of mortar, making the mortar bondat the interlocked, shorter, flanges substantially equal in area to thatat the joint formed by the opposing long flanges. 1

Each pair of flanges thus forms a load-supporting stud of substantiallyequal strength and bearing area; and further, the web-portions of thechannelled units form co-extensive walls on each side of the studs, eachwall carrying an equivalent portion of the total load.

The flanges of the units are formed with Vertical, preferably angular,grooves. In erecting successive courses of the wall, the units are laidin such manner that opposing-long-fiange and interlocked-flange jointsalternate throughout the full height of the wall structure. adjacentflanges align to form a vertical passageway, which in each courseregisters vertically with the lower course. The vertical keyway thusformed may be utilized to accommodate vertical structural reinforcement.

The adaptability of the structural unit to this method of assembly intoa wall marks an additional feature of this invention; namely, that theextended reach of the wall is accomplished at no sacrifice of structuralstrength. An opposing-long-flange joint, presumably weak in tensilestrength, is. supported above and below by an interlocked jointpossessing great resistance to forces inducing tensile stress. The wallstructure is similarly resistant to compression, and the entire wall ischaracterized by its resistance to the formation of cracks or fissuresoccasioned by expansion or contraction.

These and other features will pear.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective, showing the assembly of channel-shapedstructural units into courses of a completed wall, and additionallyshowing vertical structural reinforcement.

Fig. 2 is a plan section, taken through 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar section taken through 3-3 of Fig. 1, andrepresenting the next higher course above that of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows the use of surfacing material to impart wall continuity.

Fig. 5 is a detail, in perspective, of the structural unit.

Referring to Fig. 5, I0 represents a structural hereinafter ap- Groovesof s unit, precast or otherwise prefabricated of concrete or similarmoldable structural material. The unit It! is preferably rectangular infront elevation, and has a web II with flanges I2, I3 projecting fromthe ends thereof, at preferably right angles to the plane of the web.The outer surface I Id of the web may have a smooth or textured finish.

It is a feature of this invention that the flanges I2, I3 aresubstantially equal in all dimensions except outward extension from theface He or the web. It is an additional feature that, as shown in Figs.2 and 3, the difference in outward extensions of the flanges is greaterthan the thickness of the web II. The inner. surface of the flange I2and the outer surface of flange I3 are preferably formed with a verticalgroove, as at I20. and I3a respectively, the median lines of the groovesbeing equidistant from face Ila.

In erecting a masonry wall, it has been the immemorially old practice tobreak the vertical joints between successive courses by staggering thebricks or other structural units in one course with respect to those ina lower course. With the improved structural unit I0, the verticaljoints between courses are made secure, and the faces of the wallbonded, in a novel manner.

Referring to Fig. 1, a masonry wall I5 is represented as having fourcourses, I50, I51); I50, I567, the respective courses being formed ofunits If! so laid that the shorter flanges I2 of contiguous unitsoverlap or interlock. The flange I3 of adjacent units are coextensivelyopposite each other. As the depth of the flanges I2 is less than that ofthe flanges I3 by slightly more than the thickness of the web II, theterminal ends of the flanges I2 will be spaced from the inner surface ofthe webs I I toward which they extend.

The units If) are laid in mortar, and bonded to adjacent units withmortared joints. Also, mortar is used to close the space between theflanges I2 and the webs II. A roughly Z-shaped joint I6 is formed by theflanges I2, this joint having a crosssectional area practically equal tothe crosssectional area of the joint Ilia between flanges I3 of adjacentunits. In this construction, the joints I6, IBa, may be considered to beof approximately equal strength in vertical shear.

A wall constructed with vertical joints, as I6, Ilia, in verticalcontinuity throughout all of its courses would be structurallydeficient, as it may be assumed that joints Ifia are weak in tension,and that joint I6 could be opened by suflicient horizontal pressureoppositely directed at the ends of a course. Such tensile andcompressive stresses might be the result of the expansionv andcontraction of the course after its erection. This structural deficiencyis overcome without the necessity of staggering the units, by the simpleexpedient of reversing the relative position of the joints IGa withrespect to lower and upper courses, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.Joints I6, IBa thus alternate throughout successive courses, and thecontinuity of vertical joints is effectively broken.

A comparison of Figs. 2 and 3 shows that the total bearing orverticalload-carrying area of twoadjacent flanges I3 is substantiallyequivalent to the bearing area formed by the interlocked flanges I2.Each cooperating pair of flanges forms stud-sections of comparativelyequal loadbearing capacity, and in the completed wall, as shown in Fig.1, the stud-sections formed alternately by flanges I3 and flanges I2register in vertical alignment to form a continuous loadbearingstructure.

As the vertical grooves I211, I311, are centered in the respectiveflanges, it will be obvious that grooves in contiguous units willcooperate to form keyways I'I, I8, and that these keyways willalternately vertically align to form a keyway coextensive with theheight of the stud. This construction will accommodate vertical steelreenforcement members I9. The placing of the said members may bedeferred until several courses are erected, with all mortar joints madeexcept the fill of the keyways. The bars I9 can then be dropped intoplace and permanently securedby grouting. Final courses can then belaid. Preferably, the members I9 project above the final course, to theend that a structurally good juncture with the superstructure (notshown) can be made.

The units In may be of any conveniently handled size. By alternating aninterlocked joint I6 and an outer-face to outer-face joint IBa in amasonary course using the units II], a greater reach or extent of thesaid course is secured than would be possible if all joints were of theinterlocking type; and greater strength is secured than if all jointswere of the form of I611. By alternating joints I6, I60, in successivecourses, the extended reach of each course is accomplished withoutsacrifice of wall strength. The said joints are mutually reenforcingagainst expansion and contraction strains and the formation of fissuresinduced by such strains is resisted. The completed wall is adaptable toeven. loading. The studs are of equal bearing area, and the webs II formcoextensive wall faces.

Metal lath, 20, may be suitably secured to the webs II, and a decorativeor finish coat of plaster 20a applied. The resulting spaces 2| willaccommodate plumbing stand pipes, electrical conduit or other essentialaccessories (not shown), increasing the utility of the structure.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A prefabricated masonry structural unit having a rectangular web andflanges at the ends thereof, said flanges being of different depthmeasured from the face of the web, the proportion of the respectiveflanges providing for assembling a course of, such units in which thelonger flanges of contiguous units arein coextensive outer-face toouter-face relationshipand the shorter flanges of contiguous units arein coextensive inner-face to inner-face relationship, while maintainingthe web faces of alternate units in the same plane.

2. A prefabricated masonry structural unit having a rectilinear web andflanges at the ends thereof, said flanges coextensive with said web atthe point of juncture therewith and being of different depth measuredfrom the face of the web, the proportion of the respective flangesproviding for assembling a course of such units in which the longerflanges of contiguous units are in coextensive outer-face to outer-facerelationship and the shorter flanges of contiguous units are incoextensive inner-face to inner-face relationship, while maintaining.the web faces of alternate units in the same plane.

3. A masonry structural unit of substantially U-shaped cross section,said unit comprising a web provided with a flange at each end of theweb, said flanges being parallel, one of said flanges being longer thanthe other by an amount greater than the thickness of the web, the longerflange having. a vertical. groove in an outer face,

the shorter flange having a vertical groove in an inner face, saidflanges being so proportioned that when the said units are arranged toform a masonry course and the longer flanges of contiguous units are incoextensive outer-face to outer-face relationship and shorter flanges ofcontiguous units are in coextensive inner-face to inner-facerelationship, the Web faces of alternate units are in substantially acommon plane.

4. A masonry structural unit of substantially U-shaped cross section,said unit comprising a web provided with a flange at each end of theweb, said flanges being parallel, one of said flanges being longer thanthe other by an amount 3 greater than the thickness of the web, thelonger flange having a centrally disposed vertical groove in an outerface, the shorter flange having a centrally disposed vertical groove inan inner face, said flanges being so proportioned that when the saidunits are arranged to form a masonry course and the longer flanges ofcontiguous units are in coextensive outer-face to outer-facerelationship and shorter flanges of contiguous units are in coextensiveinner-face to inner-face relationship, 10

the web faces of alternate units are in substantially a common plane.

HERBERT ALFRED FABER.

